Dharma Talks

A Dharma talk is a public discourse on Buddhism by a teacher or practice leader. 

It is said that a Dharma talk can be “dark to the mind but luminous to the heart.” We suggest listening not just with your ears, but with your whole body.

A Dharma talk may also be referred to as a Teisho (提唱). A Teisho is non-dualistic, and therefore different than a lecture on a Buddhist topic. A Teisho is a Dharma talk that speaks directly to the heart.

Use the menu below to search for talks by category or speaker.

You may also search for topics by entering keywords in the search box. The search will open into a new page with a list.

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  • Quiet Mind, Open Heart: Taking Action that Includes Everyone and Everything

    Quiet Mind, Open Heart: Taking Action that Includes Everyone and Everything

    Eon Zen Dharma Holder Geoff Shōun O'Keeffe shares about the Three Tenets of Zen Peacemakers: not-knowing, bearing witness, and taking action that arises from not-knowing and bearing witness. He offers Roshi Eve Marko's recent reflections on the violence and fear in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine as a profound practice of the three tenets.

  • Walk as if Your Feet are Kissing the Earth

    Walk as if Your Feet are Kissing the Earth

    In Zen retreats, we practice walking meditation. We carry the same focus and awareness of our sitting meditation into movement. Thich Naht Hahn said to “walk as if your feet are kissing the Earth.” What did he mean by this? How can we connect with our lives in the deepest way possible?

  • Keeping It Simple

    Keeping It Simple

    It’s a common human tendency to overthink, to have and hold onto opinions, to seek meaning, to categorize and analyze. Our brains do what brains do. And ideas and concepts are very enticing. They can also be useful, at times. Our practice is to hold them lightly — to not identify with our thoughts or to get too caught up with them. We have all we need to practice being who we are.

  • Three Tenets Practice in the Time of War

    Three Tenets Practice in the Time of War

    Be still. Look and don’t turn away. Listen to what your heart tells you to do. The Three Tenets are a core Zen practice. It is about waking up to the reality of the oneness and interconnectedness of all life, and then doing everything we can to relieve suffering in a suffering world.